Vacuum cleaner with storage compartment



May 31, 1966 R. s. WATERS 3,253,294

VACUUM CLEANER WITH STORAGE COMPARTMENT Filed March 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES INVENTOR W Robert 8. Waters 6%), WR=WN ATTORNEY y 1966 R. s. WATERS 3,253,294

VACUUM CLEANER WITH STORAGE COMPARTMENT Filed March 25, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 0.

3,253,294 VACUUM CLEANER WITH STORAGE COMPARTMENT Robert S. Waters, Lexington, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 354,584 4 Claims. (Cl. 15-323 another for rugs and carpets, and another for cleaning hardwood floors or the like.

Heretofore, devices of the prior art have been provided with a compartment within the housing thereof for storing cleaning attachments or tools. The tools can be removed from the compartment as desired by opening a door which is hingedly secured to the cleaner housing adjacent the open end of the compartment. An arrangement of this type hides the tools from view and is therefore effective to enhance the esthetic appearance of the cleaner, however, the procedure of opening and closing the door for removing and replacing tools has been found to be unsatisfactory. Some doors are so constructed (i.e. hinged at the bottom or side) that the door can be left open for access to the tools. The obvious disadvantage of this type of arrangement is the danger of injury of a person by walking into the door or injury of furniture or the like by being bumped by the door as the cleaner is moved across the floor.

Accordingly, it is the general object of this invention to provide a new and improved latch for a door of this type.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved latch which is molded integrally with the door and will operate in two positions.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved latch which is easy to release.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved latch which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

A still further object of this invention-is to provide posi-- tive latching for a cleaner door in the opened as well as as the closed position Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out in particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a suction cleaner partly broken away, incorporating one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the latch in the locked position when the door is in the closed position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the latch shown in FIG. 2, but with the latch in the released position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the door swung partially open to free the latch from the latch catch;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the door 3,253,294 Patented May 31, 1966 rotated to its fully opened position on top of the cleaner housing;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the latch in the locked position when the door is in the fully opened position;

FIG. 7 is a partial top plan view of the suction cleaner shown in FIG. 1 but with the tool storage door resting on top of the cleaner; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail of the latch of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings, especially FIG. 1, reference character 10 designates generallya suction cleaner carried by a front caster 11 and rear wheels 12, only one of the wheels being shown. The cleaner 10, comprising a housing 13, is provided with a tool storage door 14 whichis adapted to carry cleaning attachments 15 (best shown in FIG. 7) on the inner surface thereof. It will be understood that the cleaning attachments need not be carried by the door but may be stored Within the interior caviy or compartment of the housing 13.

A double molded hinge 16, formed inegrally with the door 14 is secured to the cleaner housing by suitable means as indicated at 17. The hinge 16 is adapted to allow the door to be rotated from the closed position (FIG. 1) through a complete angle of 270 to the opened position (FIG. 5). The double hinge is also eifective to allow translational movement of the door to the left as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6. The purpose of the translational movement will be discussed below.

The door 14, made from any suit-able material, for example, polypropylene, is provided with the latch means 18 molded integrally with the bottom edge of the door. The latch means 18 comprises a pair of mutually perpendicular L-shaped tabs 19 and 20 (best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4). The L-shaped tab 19, having a leg portion 21 and a foot 22, is adapted to cooperate with a catch 23 (FIG. 2) for latching the door 14 in the closed position. As viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4, the catch 23 is provided with a passage therethrough for receiving the tab 19. With the tab 19 inserted through the passage, the foot 22 is eifective to engage the rear surface of the catch 23 thereby preventing opening of the door 14.

The L-shaped tab 20 hingedly secured to the door 14 as indicated at 24 (best shown in FIG. 4) is effective to release the tab 19 from its locked position (FIG. 2) by application of a small horizontal force thereto in the direction of the arrow ('FIG. 2). Once the tab has been completely withdrawn from the catch 23 (FIG. 4), the door 14 can be rotated counterclockwise to the fully opened position on top of the housing 13 (FIG. 5).

An indentation 25 (FIGS. 1, 5 and 8) in the underside of a top cover 26 of a bagful indicator (not shown) is adapted to receive a foot or detent 27 on the L-shaped tab 19 (FIG. 8) for locking the door 14 in the opened position. This locking engagement can be achieved by moving the door 14 to the left as viewed in FIG. 5 while applying a horizontal force, in the same direction, to tab 19. This causes the detent 27 to move under the edge of the cover 26 in the direction of the indentation 25 until the detent snaps into place (FIGS. 6 and 8). The tab 19 can be released by reversing the foregoing procedure.

It will be understood that the force applied to the tab 19.

can be removed as soon as the detent slips under the edge of the cover 26.

To provide clearance for enabling the detent 20 to he slipped under the cover in the manner described above a portion of the housing beneath the edge of the cover 26 is bent downwardly as indicated at 28 (best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6).

It will be apparent that there has been disclosed a latch for a door to a suction cleaner which is adapted to positively lock the door in the opened and closed positions and which is easy and inexpensive to make because of being integrally molded with the door.

While there has been shown and described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, modifications thereto will readily occur to those skilled in the art. It is not desired, therefore, that the invention be limited to the specific arrangements shown and described and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a suction cleaner having a housing with a tool storage compartment in the housing and having an open end, in combination, a door for opening and closing the open end of the compartment, hinge means on said door and attached to the housing, said hinge means being effective to allow rotation of said door between opened and closed positions, a plurality of catch means disposed in said housing, latch means comprising, a first and a second tab member, said tab members being so arranged with respect to each that said first tab member cooperates with one of said catch means for locking the door in the closed position and said second tab member cooperates with the other of said catch means for locking said door in the opened position, said first tab member being adapted to serve as a release means for releasing said second tab member and said second tab member being adapted to serve as a release means for releasing said first tab member from the locked position.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, including hinge means integral with said door and attaching said latch means thereto.

3. In a suction cleaner having a housing supporting a stationary air inlet and comprising a top wall forming one Wall of a tool storage compartment with an open end, in combination, a door for opening and closing the open end of said compartment, hinge means on said door and attached to said housing, said hinge means being eifective to allow pivoting of said door between open and closed positions, a plurality of catch means carried by said housing, latch means cooperating with one of said catch means for locking said door in an open position overlying said top wall and remote from said air inlet, said latch means further cooperating with the other of said catch means for locking said door in its closed position for concealing tools stored in said storage compartment.

4. Structure as specified in claim 3 including means for hingedly securing said latch means to said door for permitting pivoting of said latch means with respect to said door for facilitating release of said latch means from said catch means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,608,709 9/1952 Benjamin 15323 2,616,517 11/1952 Beck 15257 2,645,913. 7/1953 Curtiss -5 2,986,765 6/1961 Ernolf et a1 15-329 3,043,354 7/1962 'Fitzgerald 1505 FOREIGN PATENTS 531,994 10/1956 Canada.

61,996 2/ 1944 Denmark.

ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner. 

3. IN A SUCTION CLEANER HAVING A HOUSING SUPPORTING A STATIONARY AIR INLET AND COMPRISING A TOP WALL FORMING ONE WALL OF A TOOL STORAGE COMPARTMENT WITH AN OPEN END, IN COMBINATION, A DOOR FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THE OPEN END OF SAID COMPARTMENT, HINGE MEANS ON SAID DOOR AND ATTACHED TO SAID HOUSING, SAID HINGE MEANS BEING EFFECIVE TO ALLOW PIVOTING OF SAID DOOR BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, A PLURALITY OF CATCH MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING, LATCH MEANS COOPERATING WITH ONE OF SAID CATCH MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID DOOR IN AN OPEN POSITION OVERLYING SAID TOP WALL AND REMOTE FROM SAID AIR INLET, SAID LATCH MEANS FURTHER COOPERATING WITH THE OTHER OF SAID CATCH MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID DOOR IN ITS CLOSED POSITION FOR CONCEALING TOOLS STORED IN SAID STORAGE COMPARTMENT. 